The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an investigation Saturday after Lebanese media footage showed military excavators destroying solar panels in the Christian village of Debel in southern Lebanon, a civilian installation used by hundreds of residents who remain in the village with Israeli approval.

الجيش الاسرائيلي واصل عمليات الهدم والتخريب في بلدة دبل الحدودية حيث اقدم على جرف الواح الطاقات الشمسية التي تغذي البلدة بالكهرباء ومحطة المياه اضافة إلى بعض المنازل والطرقات وأشجار الزيتون pic.twitter.com/Etu9asXQGz

— LBCI Lebanon News (@LBCI_NEWS) April 25, 2026

“The actions seen in the video do not align with the values of the IDF and the conduct expected of its soldiers,” the military said. “The incident is under investigation, and according to the findings, action will be taken against the troops involved.”

צה”ל פתח הערב בתחקיר בעקבות תיעוד שהופץ בסוף השבוע בלבנון שבו נראים כוחות צה”ל הורסים פאנלים סולארים בכפר הנוצרי דבל שבדרום לבנון – הריסה של תשתית אזרחית ללא כל צורך ובעוד שמאות מתושבי הכפר הנוצרי – לבנוני לא פונו מבתיהם באישור ישראלי.

החלקה, כך סיפר גורם בכפר לכאן חדשות, היתה… pic.twitter.com/jSrFi2J5Pf

— איתי בלומנטל 🇮🇱 Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) April 25, 2026

LBCI also reported IDF forces damaged the village water station, homes, roads, and olive trees. SOFX has not independently verified those claims.

A source in Debel told Israeli public broadcaster KAN that the solar installation had previously belonged to Colonel Akel al-Hashim, a deputy commander of the South Lebanon Army (SLA) and deputy to General Antoine Lahad, who was killed before Israel’s 2000 withdrawal from Lebanon. His extended family still lives in Debel.

צה”ל פתח הערב בתחקיר בעקבות תיעוד שהופץ בסוף השבוע בלבנון שבו נראים כוחות צה”ל הורסים פאנלים סולארים בכפר הנוצרי דבל שבדרום לבנון – הריסה של תשתית אזרחית ללא כל צורך ובעוד שמאות מתושבי הכפר הנוצרי – לבנוני לא פונו מבתיהם באישור ישראלי.

החלקה, כך סיפר גורם בכפר לכאן חדשות, היתה… pic.twitter.com/jSrFi2J5Pf

— איתי בלומנטל 🇮🇱 Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) April 25, 2026

This is the second IDF probe originating from Debel in a week. On April 19, an IDF soldier smashed a Jesus statue there, drawing global condemnation. That soldier and a second who filmed the act each received 30 days of military detention and were removed from combat duty, as SOFX previously reported.

Israel investigates military after SOLAR PANELS destroyed in southern Lebanon

‘Actions… do not align with VALUES of IDF’

Christian village Debel targeted AGAIN days after Jesus statue destroyed

WATER infrastructure, homes, olive trees damaged pic.twitter.com/p1inilPoJ9

— RT (@RT_com) April 25, 2026

Debel is one of several Christian communities in southern Lebanon not under Israeli evacuation orders. Defense Minister Israel Katz has stated the IDF would raze evacuated border villages to eliminate Hezbollah staging areas, while exempting Christian-majority communities.

The IDF says it targets only Hezbollah infrastructure, which it states is often embedded in civilian structures. Israel and Hezbollah entered a ceasefire on April 17. Since then, Hezbollah has continued attacking IDF forces daily, asserting it is responding to Israeli truce violations.